Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Over the last few books I have heard that people feel that Ms. Evanovich is "phoning it in". I always enjoyed each offering, even when the plots got a little weak. This is the first time I can honestly say I am seriously disappointed and I am not sure if I will be continuing with the series. It's like someone else wrote it, and decided to clean it up for a middle-school audience. Joe is sickeningly sweet, no arguments, no arm waving, no Italian hand gestures. No one swears ("what the fork"???), no even-remotely-sexy times. Lula's former profession is only referred to as a "pleasure facilitator" - the phrase "ho" is never used once. Mrs. Plum is not the same person... no why me, no hounding Steph to change jobs, get married, etc... I mean sure, someone who is chill and knits all the time is lovely but NOT Helen Plum. And we get NO Ranger or Merry Men involvement in Steph's adventures. You can't have Ranger be such a part of her life and then just write him out - he wasn't even in the wind. There wasn't even any mention of Steph's rivals, Barnhardt or Mob Princess Terry, or her usual FTA's. This book feels like a poorly written ghostwriter addition to the series. If it is time to let the series die, then let Stephanie have her happy ending. Either she settles for Joe and they get married and we are done, or she and Ranger get together and make a majority of the fans happy. But quit drawing it out if the author can't do it justice.